I'm the Thomas The Tank slayer now it seems

If five really wants to lose a sack of money they will bid for loads of football rights. Of course it wont happen. Its all Northern & Shell b*****ks. Five isnt going to be bothering other channels too much IMO. Even if they wanted to take on ITV or the BBC now they couldnt. They sacked half their staff and took commissioning decisions into N&S.

Most of their actions are in direct contradiction to the spin coming out of the Express/ Star.

Home and Away and Live from Studio Five seem to be weakpoints and I reckon the latter could be for the axe. Home and Away will keep going for some time, but if ratings continue to slide in the late slot, it could just be reduced to an afternoon show.
However, on balance Channel 5 is a vastly better channel than it was in the early days and I reckon Des will be angling for a big football contract. Don't be surprised if he goes all out to get the FA Cup or England home games.

It's Tracy Barlow who is putting viewers off the show. Nobody cares about her being attacked.

Now that pretty much all the official ratings are in, here's the official series averages for most of the reality shows this year and their rise or fall compared to last year's series:

1 - 14.13m - The X Factor... (+9%)
2 - 11.24m - Strictly Come Dancing:... (+20%)
3 - 11.05m - Britain's Got Talent... (-17%)
4 - 10.37m - I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!... (+11%)
5 - 8.28m.. - Dancing on Ice... (-7%)
6 - 8.03m.. - The Apprentice... (-4%)
7 - 6.93m.. - Let's Dance... (-10%)
8 - 5.68m.. - So You Think You Can Dance... (NEW)
9 - 5.55m.. - Over The Rainbow... (-7%)

Selected Others:
... 4.15m.. - Popstar to Operastar... (NEW)
... 3.7m... - Celebrity Big Brother... (+12%)
... 3.2m... - Ultimate Big Brother... (NEW)
... 2.9m... - Big Brother... (+16%)

Notes
- All are series averages which include HD where necessary.
- Channel 4 reality series averages are to 1 decimal place and include C4+1.
- Over The Rainbow's average was compared to I'd Do Anything, which was Andrew Lloyd Webber's last musical-based talent show.
- MasterChef averages were not possible as episodes missed out on the BARB Top 30.

As we all know, X Factor tops the list by a pretty large margin with its best series average to date. It's almost double the average for its first series of 7.40m which aired in 2004, and a 9% rise from last year is impressive considering how good last year's ratings were in the first place. I think this'll be its peak - it simply cannot go on year after year building its audiences at the sort of level it's been doing in the last few years! Undoubtedly, it's been a very strong year for Strictly Come Dancing, up 20% vs. last year to post its best series average. It's previous most watched series was the 2008 one with 9.65m so it was easily its most watched series and it managed to overtake Britain's Got Talent for the series average which is a fantastic achievement.

IAC managed to get its best series average since early 2004 (11.02m) and it was its 2nd most watched series ever. An excellent turnaround from 2007 when the series that year only averaged 7.34m. Like TXF, I can't see next year's series averaging as well but they should try and limit the drop to less than 10%. Also it was a good year for the final Big Brothers - both editions up a healthy amount vs. last year. I really do think CH4 will struggle next year during the summer; at least previously they could rely on BB getting ~2.5m in any slot, they haven't got a show like that anymore and their "creative renewal" so far has been pretty shambolic.

A hefty drop for Britain's Got Talent compared to last year, the biggest year-on-year fall. It was actually holding up well for its auditions (only 5% down y-o-y) but the big falls happened during the live stages when the ratings were down 26%. They need to make sure the scheduling is better for the live shows next year and they need a couple of contestants who the media are really going to talk about.

There were drops for the other returning reality shows in the list. Dancing on Ice really needs a kick up its backside - in 2006 it was ITV's #1 reality show, now it's down to #4 and not really built its audience like the other talent shows over the same period. They've gone with a new set and format changes next series to keep things fresh which is good but once again, the scheduling isn't the best and the lineup is a pretty poor one. They need to step it up a gear but competition on the other channels will be even tougher, what with Top Gear moving to Januarys at 8pm on BBC2. I think The Apprentice held up pretty well considering this series had much tougher competition than the previous ones - it was still it's second best ever rated series. Will be interesting to see how the show does next year when it returns in Spring, as it's rumoured to be...

One reality omission, the replacement for Hell's Kitchen, Marco's Kitchen Burnout, that averaged 2.5 million. Also you could add What Katie Did Next with 1.1 million( down 700,000 on Katie and Peter), 71 Degrees North on 3.5 million, All At Sea with 3 million and, proving that she cannot find a best friend and needs a best one forever, Paris Hilton's New Best Friend Forever with 500,000( about the same as her British friend search). Also how did America and Britain's Next Top Model do this year?
Reality to me seems to have split in two directions. You have the massive hitters which are like talent contests or dancing shows, and the second string shows, usually shown on digital channels or in the summer, where past it celebs get put in odd locations or where reality stars like Katie Price have their own show. The latter trend does seem to be in decline now.

Are Fiver and Five USA out performing Five (Channel 5 or whatever its called these days)

Channel 5 primetime is dire beyond belief , with endless 3 hour 100 Greatest... (and repeated 3 days later)

Yet Fiver & Five USA at least have films and US Series.

Also, I am interesetd to see ratings for kids shows but nobody on here posts those.

Will ITV be recommissioning 71 Degrees North? It wasn't a success, but it wasn't a flop either.

Yeah Marco's Kitchen Burnout was a massive flop. No rating made the ITV Top 30 so I couldn't do an official average for it, but the overnight average was: 2.3m (10.5%) excluding HD, well below the slot average of 4.2m. I said it before, I really can't understand why they don't just do Hell's Kitchen again but with the American format of a weekly series with regular members of the public. It's really good and reminds me of a cooking version of The Apprentice - I think it'd be a moderate hit for ITV and it's their own format anyway!

I wouldn't call All at Sea a reality series, it was more of a factual entertainment programme I think. Will be interesting to see if 71 Degrees North returns - 3.5m-ish is pretty low but then again for the slot it was in, it rated better the most other programmes which have aired there in the last couple of years and the ratings didn't fall during the series. A few tweaks here and there, a second series could rate at the 4m mark.

I presume that the low time shift is to do with the overrun of Sports Personality on the night. If the whole 9-11 time slot was reported as the overnights it would have included a massive number for the first 5 minutes which would have been excluded once it had been time checked. Could that be the reason?

And I entirely agree about the programme logs. It's a very odd decision.

Thanks once again for your round up of the reality shows. Amazing for Strictly to be up by so much year-on-year, and to beat out Britain's Got Talent, which I didn't realise was down so heavily. We've said everything that could be said about TXF but its also terrific for IAC to still be rising given its age.

I can see why the BBC have decided to give SYTYCD another shot - it was an extremely poorly produced and executed show but the ratings weren't a disaster. It needs a total overhaul, a longer run and better production values and they might be able to rescue it as a franchise. The ALW shows are dead now, though.

Gamu?

If she's still in this country then one of the talent shows is bound to invite her along. Maybe Strictly should sign her up quick.

Though unlike the soaps The X Factor is only16-18 weeks a year and the BBC don't cave in completely on the other side.


That is every single week though, with episodes made up for when other shows have a claim on the slot - and extra ones over Christmas.

It's not so much about the soaps themselves, it's about how the BBC and ITV cave in opposite the soaps meaning a very dull pre-watershed schedule. Soaps running head to head would make TV much more interesting.


Charlie Brooker struggles again outside the digital TV realm.


Such a shame about the restrictions Sky Sports put on the rights - ITV1 could be getting around 3m if they could air them in a 5pm slot this week before the news. ITV4 though treating the rights better than the BBC did four years ago, and if the highlights rights to the Cricket World Cup are up for grabs for Feb/Mar, I wonder if they might put a bid in for them.


To be fair though Five USA quietly does it's business thanks to the endless CSI franchises.


Recent history suggests ITV will probably axe it then rather than give it another chance - but I do think 71 Degrees North is possibly more limited as a returning series than things like I'm a Celeb and Survivor due to the limitations of the environment. That said though I'm a Celeb has hardly evolved over the years.

Last nights numbers were fairly uninspiring all round really. Upstairs Downstairs fell a little more than I expected, but Marple hardly prospered either. I suppose the thrashing of Celebrity Mastermind by Corrie won't have helped. If UD can retain those numbers tonight though, then I still think the BBC will be keen on a proper series - the reviews have been good and most have mentioned that the show would be even better played out slowly over more time. I'm inclined to agree and hope we don't wind up with yet more of the 2-3 parter stuff the channels seem so keen on.

EastEnders did well to crack 10m, but Christmas seems to have predictably sapped Corrie of its momentum.

A full roundup for anyone that has missed anything from the past few pages:

]Monday 27th December 2010
BBC One (inc. HD)
06:00 - Breakfast: 585,000 (29.5%)
- 07:00 to 08:30 - 856,000 (25.9%)
---
15:25 - FILM: The Incredibles: 3.47m (20.3%)
---
19:10 - Casualty: 4.04m (14.9%)
20:00 - EastEnders: 10.22m (36.1%)
20:30 - Celebrity Mastermind: 3.16m (11.2%)
21:00 - Upstairs Downstairs: 6.66m (24.6%)

BBC Two
18:45 - Top Gear: 2.7m (10.3%)
20:00 - Three Men Go To Scotland: 3.03m (10.7%)
21:00 - Oz and Hugh Raise The Bar: 1.41m (5.2%)
22:00 - Charlie Brooker's 2010 Wipe: 1.11m (5.4%)
23:00 - Never Mind the Buzzcocks: 757,000 (4.9%)
23:30 - The Goodies: 367,000 (2.9%)

ITV1 (inc. HD)
06:00 - The Fluffy Club: 48,000 (2.9%)
07:00 - Daybreak: 488,000 (14.7%)
08:30 - Lorraine: 922,000 (14.8%)
---
15:00 - FILM: March of the Penguins: 2.20m (14.0%)
16:35 - FILM: Happy Feet: 3.69m (17.4%)
---
19:00 - Emmerdale: 8.36m (32.1%)
19:30 - Coronation Street: 9.71m (35%)
20:00 - You've Been Framed: 4.14m (14.6%)
20:30 - Coronation Street: 9.75m (34.5%)
21:00 - Agatha Christie's Marple: 4.22m (17.0%)

Channel 4 (inc. HD)
18:30 - Hollyoaks: 961,000 (4.0%)
19:15 - Porridge: 1.21m (4.4%)
21:00 - Lee Evans: Access All Areas: 1.59m (5.9%)
22:00 - Lee Evans: Up Close: 1.00m (4.2%)
22:35 - FILM: There's Something About Mary: 642,000 (4.8%)

Channel 5 (inc. HD)
20:00 - There's A Hippo In My House: 540,000 (1.9%)
21:00 - Greatest TV Christmas Moments: 704,000 (3.3%)

BBC Three
21:00 - Most Annoying People 2010: 870,000 (3.8%)
23:30 - EastEnders: 652,000 (5.2%)

E4
19:00 - Hollyoaks: 401,000 (1.6%)

Film4
21:00 - FILM: Die Hard 4.0: 1.36m (5.8%)

ITV4
22:00 - The Ashes Highlights: 828,000 (3.3%)

Sky Sports 1
19:00 to 22:30 - Live Monday Night Football: 1.52m (5.6%)
- third in 9pm slot

Primetime Shares
ITV1 (inc. HD): 23.3%
BBC One (inc. HD): 20.9%
BBC Two: 8%
Channel 4 (inc. HD): 4.6% (+1: 0.6%)
Film Four: 3.3%
BBC Three: 2.9%
Channel 5's (inc. HD): 2.4%

Source: DS

I don't think yesterday's ITV ratings are tape-checked actually, as Attentional doesn't tape-check for Bank Holidays.

Anyone with a breakdown care to check?

I agree with all that. Admittedly the only programme I watch on Ch5 now is CSI:NY and it looks like this may be the final series, but in general Ch5 has a great range of programmes and for the most part is matching its criteria of 1m+ for the main primetime programmes (8-11pm). This year they have started to have a stronger primetime, largely due to a properly structured schedule which has factual at 8, crime drama at 9 and crime drama/films at 10.

There have been some huge successes including: Hotel Inspector, Eddie Stobart, Cowboy Builders, Emergency Bikers and then other reliable performers: The Gadget Show, Extreme Fishing, Highland Emergency, True Story, Extraordinary People.

Obviously there have been flops such as Don't Stop Believing and a couple of factual series, but on the whole Ch5 is on the way up. The only problems at the moment are Home & Away and the decline of the CSI franchise. It's obvious Ch5 are trying to find replacements and new US series such as FlashForward which performed excellently over here, but not so well in the US. I would also say the slots of NCIS and The Mentalist are holding both shows back and it might be an idea to air them back to back on Tuesdays, moving the CSI franchise to Fridays and Saturdays, because NCIS and The Mentalist aren't going anywhere in the US.

Ch5 have had a great Autumn, beating Ch4 in many key 8-11pm slots, often around half a week, and this shouldn't go un-noticed.

With regard to the digital channels, I definitely think they should merge. Fiver is a complete waste of a channel imo airing nothing remotely interesting and it shows in the viewing figures. It's fine to air the odd repeat of the main shows on Ch5, but these then get repeated endlessly as well as old shows which get churned out again and again. Merging with FIVE:US would create a much stronger schedule. For example:

5.30pm-Law & Order (R)
6.30pm-Home & Away:First Chance
7pm-Neighbours (R)
7.30pm-Highland Emergency (R)
8pm-CSI (R)
9pm-New US Drama
10pm-The Hotel Inspector: Behind The Scenes
10.30pm-Film (R)

I'm afraid I cannot share the same enthusiasm for Five right now. IMO it's a far, far weaker channel now than what it was about three or four years ago when its American imports were at their peak and they had reams of quality UK commissions such as their amazing arts programmes which are now long gone. Sadly Five's old reputation was holding them back and none of their home-grown stuff really took off which slowly lead to the current rather disappointing mix of programmes they have now.

I'm still totally clueless as to why Desmond is bringing back the ghastly "Channel 5" brand. It will only remind viewers of its vile past in the late 90s. If he really wants a shot at the TV market he should totally re-brand the channel with a new name and a different and solid schedule.

We can but dream of a commercial channel that could take on ITV...

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Good one!

Breakfast was only on until 7.30am yesterday (on BBC One at least)

Yeah, correct. Forgot to state that.

On the Breakfast subject, some of you may enjoy this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/wyn2z/?t=18m40s

my idea of airing Daybreak at 7am, seems to be a flop

Dissapointing for Charlie Brookers Screenwipe


I liked the first two seconds

BBC already has highlights of Cricket World Cup.

What did BBC2 and Five get between 6am and 7am as a comparison?

And keeping with Milkshake, any Peppa Pig figures please?


Be interesting to see next weeks figures. Monkey Life at 5.30, followed by a Cowboy Builders repeat. No Studio Five

This is very interesting.

If Desmond did this, the sports programmes ON THEIR OWN would almost certainly be loss-making.

But the idea would be to draw far more vierwers to C5 who would then both see promos for other shows and also get more "used" to pushing the 5 button.

The thing about the whole TV market at the moment is that BBC1 and ITV1 have an almost complete duopoly on "default" and "filler" viewing. They are the two channels most people automatically take a look at if there is nothing particular on that they want to watch.

Desmond needs to start to change this mindset. And I suspect the only possible way of even attempting to do so is to make a "high impact move" which on its own is loss making but would have much broader consequences.

I still think "The Fluffy Club" is a too sexy name for a kids show.

Yesterday between 6-7am:

BBC2: 40k (2.5%)
ITV1: 48k (2.9%)
Channel 5: 58k (3.6%)


Yesterday at 8.20am, Peppa Pig had 209k (4.4%).

The Fluffer Club is a kids programme??!!!!

Could we have Channel 4 to 'complete the set'? Not sure why excel99 missed that out.